Gunsmith vs weapons mechanic

The differences between gunsmiths and weapons mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a weapons mechanic has an average salary of $57,259, which is higher than the $44,684 average annual salary of a gunsmith.

The top three skills for a gunsmith include customer service, hand tools and rifles. The most important skills for a weapons mechanic are hand tools, fuel systems, and landing gear.

Gunsmith vs weapons mechanic overview

	Gunsmith	Weapons Mechanic
Yearly salary	$44,684	$57,259
Hourly rate	$21.48	$27.53
Growth rate	-5%	6%
Number of jobs	11,589	33,710
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Gunsmith vs weapons mechanic salary

Gunsmiths and weapons mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Gunsmith	Weapons Mechanic
Average salary	$44,684	$57,259
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $72,000	Between $40,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between gunsmith and weapons mechanic education

There are a few differences between a gunsmith and a weapons mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Gunsmith	Weapons Mechanic
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	New York University

Gunsmith vs weapons mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between gunsmiths' and weapons mechanics' demographics:

	Gunsmith	Weapons Mechanic
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 97.8% Female, 2.2%	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 3.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 3.2% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between gunsmith and weapons mechanic duties and responsibilities

Gunsmith example responsibilities.

Conduct ammunition inventory and lead maintenance team during quarterly magazine sprinkler inspections and certifications.
Assist customers in purchasing parts and ammunition.
Light use of electronics and PC equipment.
Install choke device on shotguns to control shoot pattern.
Complete all cleaning, stocking and organizing task in assign sales area.
Clean, organize, display, sell firearms, ammunition, and accessories.

Weapons mechanic example responsibilities.

Load and unload non-nuclear munitions, explosives, and ammunition on aircraft.
Apply technical knowledge of airframe systems in determining equipment malfunctions and apply required expertise in restoring equipment condition to operating status.
Repair microprocessor base electronic systems.

Gunsmith vs weapons mechanic skills

Common gunsmith skills

Customer Service, 16%
Hand Tools, 10%
Rifles, 8%
Jigs, 6%
Law Enforcement, 6%
CNC, 5%

Common weapons mechanic skills

Hand Tools, 31%
Fuel Systems, 15%
Landing Gear, 12%
Test Equipment, 10%
Aircraft Maintenance, 6%
Functional Checks, 6%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Gunsmith
Gunsmith vs Weapons Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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